Welcome to the Pan-Galactic Planetary Confederation headquarters

Bohai: Until terraforming began, the planet was wracked by frequent tsunamis and storm waves that rendered the islands uninhabitable.  To help calm these seas, an extensive artificial island was constructed, complete with surrounding reefs and lagoon protected by an energy field, visible as a shimmering effect near the surface.  The island forms a rocky wall that acts as an immense breakwater, and also provides living space for water-loving colonists (otter-like Emketi, sea-iguana-like Vash and beaver-like Terenki), several of whom can be seen enjoying a swim together in the lagoon.  Others of their species are going about their business ashore.  Habitation and office structures are visible in the background, and entrances to two emergency bunkers appear as portals set at the base of the mountain-wall spine of the island.  In the lagoon and offshore can be seen individuals of a number of water-living species that have also chosen to colonize Bohai.  Swimming in the lagoon are a Barbas (with large winglike fins) and a disk-like Undo.  Nearby is a Biffong, resembling a large copepod.  In deeper water outside the reef, a Norlinks, with a long thin beak, swims near an octopod Kra, while an orca-like Rihansu glides above an immense whale-like Ar’kmank’il, who is accompanied by her eel-like Commensal (reddish head beneath her) and is just visible at the bottom of the scene. 

Tokkal: An inter-city shuttle is preparing to land at the shuttle pad atop one of the buildings of one of the Cloud Cities on Tokkal. Tokkal is the homeworld of the Tokkali, one of the founding species of the PGPC.  A large area of Tokkal’s surface is perpetually shrouded in dense clouds. Now the Cloud Cities are permanent homes to many thousands of Tokkali scientists, who live and work suspended kilometers above the clouds, with ever-changing vistas of cloudscapes and spectacular rises and sets of Tokkal’s sun.  In the last century, new Cities were lofted, offering luxury tourists a unique view. Tokkali and non-Tokkali consider it a prized memory.  Each city is a self-sufficient arcology supported on a platform equipped with anti-gravity generators and attitude-control systems.  There are dozens of these cities, several are visible here.  Frequent inter-city shuttle service enable residents and visitors to reach other cloud cities and ground-based cities elsewhere on the planet.  Under a protective wind-screen dome field, Tokkali are waiting for the approaching shuttle, brachiating toward the front of the queue with their locomotor tentacles along the rails provided for this purpose.  Non-brachiating visitors can approach along the floor.  Skyways between buildings (one shown) allow brachiating access to other buildings if one wants to get some exercise and not use public transit.

Above: left to right:
1. 1)     Major Ademholmi government hub, deep under Ademholm’s ocean

Two Ademholmi swim past each other through an entrance to an office complex on the grounds of a regional government hub on Ademholm.  The main administration building rises in the background.  The surrounding city is not visible in this view.  The grounds are decorated by extensive gardens of sessile bioluminescent creatures that softly glow in all colors of the spectrum visible to Ademholmi in their abyssal ocean realm.  Ademholmi residents and government workers are strolling along the ground between plantings in the gardens, and entering and exiting the admin building.  A couple of parents are visible touring the gardens with their children.  They are delineated by their own bioluminescent markings.  Atop the office building in the foreground, a shuttle is landing; several Ademholmi are waiting to board while others get a little outdoor exercise on a rooftop “jungle-gym” in the foreground.  Another shuttle is visible landing atop the admin building.  This scene is shown as Ademholmi light receptors would perceive it; to a human, anything beyond a hundred meters or so would be very faint or invisible.

2. It was fortunate that Kim succeeded in shaming the ship’s Marine commander into sending a squad to accompany her party of technical and Security people to Yavelpa’s surface.  Yavelpa, on the outskirts of Kazier space and not far from the Talfi border, has breathable air and oceans devoid of dangerous predators.  What was supposed to be a routine science survey quickly became a desperate battle as a Talfi ambush nearly wiped out the landing party.  The view is from a cave overlooking a small box canyon that had been chosen as a defensible location from which to explore.  A wooden ramp leads to the canyon floor below.  The Marines are providing cover fire, sweeping greenish “di’hakgea” energy beams through the Talfi as they try to descend the cliff, blazing their plasma Red Fire.  A few more Talfi are at the top of the canyon wall.  Several Kazier tech and Security crew are already down, caught in the early moments of the ambush, and the rest are rolling like spinning sausages toward safety, kicking up small dust plumes as they try to dodge Talfi fire. (Kazier can move faster this way than by running).  Kim herself, shielded from fire by a large rock, raises her non-responsive rifle to bludgeon a Talfa invader.

3. Closeup, Kim in teal

Left to right:
1. Hope, Joy, the alien sentient, the sea stack used for breeding and the setting carbon sun in a slushy sea. (story Orange Light)
2. The garhex’t (gem trees), ‘gems’ releasing their young to fly. Aveski, Maksen’s homestead
3. Ixion, ConFleet weapons research laboratory. Rob Murkowski’s shuttle disappearing through the security shield. Ixion is a Kuiper Belt Object, like Pluto and Eris, in Sol system.

Above, Maksen cradling Proxima as they sleep. Kazier sleeping couch in the Embassy Residence, Proxima-5. Bas reliefs of Shen-typical planets on wall, the common Kazier aesthetic.

Unless otherwise stated, Rick Baird works in acrylic on canvas.